What Is Japa ?

The Kularnava Tantra defines japa in the following words²:

Janmantara-sahasreshu krita-papa-pranashanat
Paradeva-prakashachcha japa ityabhidhiyate.

Japa is so called because it absolves one from the effects of all wrong done in one's numerous past lives, and also because japa reveals to one the Para-devata or the Paramatman.

Japa has also been defined as the silent repetition of mantra (mantrasya sulaghu uchcharo japah³). Once Swami Turiyananda was asked, 'Maharaj, what does japa actually mean?' He explained, 'It means that one should utter His name and at the same time meditate on His form, think of Him, and love Him ' [Cf. Tajjapah tadartha-bhavanam, The Yoga Sutras].

A spiritual aspirant (sadhaka) repeats the name of a particular deity appealing to his/her tastes and tendencies. A word of caution may be uttered: no aspirant should have any bigoted view about his own Chosen Ideal (Ishta). This idea has been beautifully expressed by Mahavira Hanuman, the foremost among the devotees of Sri Ramachandra, when he said:

Srinathe janakinathe abhedah paramatmani
Tathapi mama sarvasvah Ramah kamalalochanah.

Although Srinatha (Visnu or Narayana - the divine consort of Sri or Lakshmi) and Janakinatha (Ramachandra - the divine consort of Sita or Janaki) are one as Paramatman, (or Brahman - the ultimate, absolute Reality) yet I want to see Him in the form of the lotus-eyed Ramachandra alone, who is my all-in-all. For I have offered my life and my mind at His feet.

It has to be remembered that it is the one single Godhead or Isvara who is seen manifested in the various forms of gods and goddesses, namely Kali, Durga, Siva, Narayana, Rama, Krisna or Ramakrishna. However, God manifests Himself before a particular aspirant taking the form he/she wants to see Him in, the form he loves so much to think about. The promise of Sri Krishna in the Gita has the same message to offer: I assume that kind of form alone to appear before one taking resort to which he worships me (Ye yatha mam prapadyante tam tathaiva bhajamyaham).

When we read the life-stories of the seekers of God, we come to know about the various mystic experiences and visions of God in so many different forms. Readers of the life of Sri Ramakrishna are familiar with the wonderful life-story of the 'Brahmani of Kamarhati'. Her name was Aghoramani Devi. But she was more familiarly known as 'Gopaler Ma', Gopal's Mother. The unique of Lila (divine play) of Gopala (Krishna as a child) with Gopaler Ma and her vision of Gopala, her Ishta Devata (chosen ideal), in the person of Sri Ramakrishna fascinated even the rational mind of Narendra Nath (later Swami Vivekananda).

Again, Omkara (Om) has been enjoined by the scriptures as the representative word for Brahman (Cf. Taittiriya Upanishad, Mundaka Upanishad etc.) or for Ishvara (the Personal God; Cf.The Yoga Sutras). The names of gods are called mantra because if one thinks of the mantras, one gets liberation thereby.

Sri Ramakrishna clarifies the meaning of mantra (the mystic syllables with which one is initiated to spiritual life) when he says, 'A person and his/her name are non-different.' An aspirant should not also reveal his mantra to anyone. It is sacred, therefore it is secret.

The Yogashikhopanishad defines mantra thus: 'Since reflection and saving power are connected with the "holy formula" and also because it forms the abode of Brahman and is helpful in realizing God, it is called mantra.'⁴

The Count

Every spiritual aspirant pursuing the path of dualism knows well that it is mandatory for him to keep the count of the mantra. This could be done by counting one's fingers or by using a rosary, following the instructions of one's Guru. Haribhaktivilasa says: ⁵ None should recite the mantra without keeping count (sankhyam vina mantra japah). And again, one can do japa mentally without count if one is advanced in spiritual life. This will come automatically without any effort on the part of the aspirant.

Is there any special significance of keeping the record of number of times one repeats the mantra? Once a devotee asked Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi about meditation and japa. In reply she said, 'Repeating the name of God a fixed number of times, telling the rosary or counting on fingers is calculated to direct the mind to God. The natural tendency of the mind is to run this way and that way. Through these means it is attracted to God. While repeating the name of God, if one sees His form and becomes absorbed in Him, one's Japa stops.' Mind is given to wandering of its own wish, for a long period of time. Now, withdrawing one's mind all on a sudden from all its objects of interest and engaging it in meditation of God would be well-nigh impossible. Therefore, the processes like counting one's rosary are to be practised in order to restrain the wandering mind; otherwise one would hardly be able to keep track of one's mind.

Counting the number of recitation, however, is to be done following specified methods. Usually, one unit of recitation consists in repeating the mantra 108 times. The question might immediately cross one's mind: Does the number bear any spiritual significance? Well, the number may not directly refer to anything spiritual, but it does symbolize some mystic experience. The symbolic significance could be understood with the help of some examples.

The sun that rises in the east represents knowledge. Thus, we are reminded of sunrise or the rising of the sun of knowledge whenever we remember east. Let us refer to another example. The needle of a magnetic compass always points to the north. It may be turned to different directions, but it always stops with its needle directed to the north. In the same way, our mind must always be pointed towards God amidst our duties in the world. Sri Ramakrishna would say, 'A maidservant in the house of a rich man performs all the household duties, but her thoughts are fixed on her own home in her native village.' The needle of a compass reminds us of the northern direction. The example of a maidservant points to a God-centered life. Hence, the northern direction is a reminder of a life entirely given to the quest of God. This, presumably, is the reason why the scriptures instruct us to sit facing east or north for taking the name of the Lord, practising meditation, doing ritualistic worship, etc. These directions inspire a sense of sanctity in the minds of the sadhakas.

The following incidents aptly explain how even apparently inconsequential things can stimulate lofty ideas and principles, through association.

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna narrates an incident from Sri Chaitanya's life. 'Once Chaitanyadeva was passing through a village. Someone told him that the body of the drum used in the Kirtana was made from the earth of that village. At once he went into ecstasy.'

Once Sri Ramakrishna paid a visit to the Kolkata zoo. On seeing a lion, the Vahana (mount) of the Divine Mother, he was charged with deep spiritual fervour and went into a trance. In his own words : 'I was taken to the Zoological Garden. I went into samadhi at the sight of lion, the carrier of the Mother Herself.'

From what is stated above it follows that there are certain things which are representative of some mystical or spiritual truths. But what is the significance of the odd number 108 which is believed to be very much useful in uttering the sacred mantra? The reply in brief is: the number 108 suggests total identification or oneness of the individual self (jiva) with the supreme self (paramatman).

But this requires a little explanation. First of all let's turn to a few evidences in the Upanishads. The Varahopanisad says:⁶ 'The height of every human body measures 96 fingers (of one's own), placed one above another (Shariram sarvajantunam shannavatandula atmakam).' And, 'The seat of Paramatman in human body is just above the navel at a distance of 12 fingers put one upon another (Adho nishtya vitastyante nabhyamupari tishthati)', says the Mahanaryana Upanisad.⁷ Hence, the total number adding 96 to 12 is indicative of oneness of jiva and Paramatman. The spiritually illumined souls bear testimony to the fact that the being of a jiva merges into Paramatman gradually, as a result of repeating the name of the Lord with sincere, single-minded devotion.

The point in question could be interpreted in a slightly different way as well. Every human body, as we have already quoted, measures 96 fingers placed horizontally from toe to head. According to some of our scriptures, the self in the solar orb is a composite of 12 parts. The innermost self, Pratyagatman residing in every individual and the Pratyagatman or the self in the solar orb are one and the same. This is what the Taittiriya Upanisad teaches:⁸ Yashchayam purushe yashchasavaditye sa ekah. Here also the figure obtained through the addition of numbers 96 and 12 points to the oneness of jiva and Ishvara.

The Akshamalika Upanishad⁹ tells us that the letters of Sanskrit are like beads in a rosary string. Ramprasada, a great devotee of Divine Mother from Bengal and a spiritual aspirant of high calibre sang _ Mother Kali is the embodiment of 50 letters of the alphabet and each letter is Her name. The total number of letters in Sanskrit alphabet is 50. The number comes to 100 when the letters are recited both-ways. To this are added 5 basic elements (pancha bhuta)--earth, water, fire, air and akasha and 3 gunas-- sattwa, rajas and tamas. Thus the figure 108 refers to Brahman, the reality which is immanent and all-pervading. The slightly raised bead at the centre of a rosary which is called 'Sumeru' symbolizes the highest Reality called Para Brahman which is formless and attributeless. Hence the instruction _ don't cross it. The Katha Upanishad says:¹⁰ Tasminlokah shritah sarve tadu natyeti kashchana -- all the spheres of existence and inhabitants therein are sheltered in that; none can go beyond that.

Swami Vijnanananda, one of the direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, used to put forth another interpretation. Though amusing, it has a practical bearing. He would say: a jiva or an individual soul while living in mother's womb before his birth as a complete baby, remembers all his deeds in past lives and the miseries he had suffered all through those lives as a result of his bad actions (karma). Further, he keeps on thinking that all his past lives had gone in vain because of his failure to realize God in those lives.¹¹ He takes frequent pledges that he would, in no way, waste his ensuing birth and would be constantly remembering the Lord and taking His name through his every in-breath and out-breath. Normally, a healthy man breathes 21,600 times through the 24 hour span of a day.¹² But the moment a jiva comes into contact with the ephemeral world, all the vows he took in the embryo sink into oblivion. The oblivion or forgetfulness wipes off the last two zeroes of the figure! The figure thus stands 216. Hence, a person generally repeats the name of the Lord twice daily, morning and evening. In each sitting he performs japa for 108 times and remains satisfied that he is performing his duty.

In the book In Search of the Cradle of Civilization, the authors say: The decipherment of the Rig-Vedic code has shown that, remarkably, the Vedic poet-mathematicians had discovered the astronomical significance of the number 108, which is one-half the number of hymn groups [216], is roughly the average distance between the Sun and Earth in terms of solar diameters. It is also the average distance between the Moon and Earth in terms of lunar diameters. These values can be obtained by simple measurements with the naked eye. For example, if a pole of a certain height were to be separated from the observer by a distance that is 108 times this height, its angular size would be exactly equal to that of the Sun or the Moon. The above discovery also would seem to explain why 108 beads are used in Hindu rosaries. A full round on the rosary represents a symbolic journey from the earth to the sky.¹³

The Efficacy of Japa

Manu, the ancient law-giver of the Hindus, is very clear about the benefits of japa. He says,¹⁴ 'A spiritual man attains his goal through japa alone; whatever else he may or may not perform.'

The Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi, who would do one hundred thousand japa every day, says, 'Man achieves the highest goal through the practice of japa. Japa leads to success. Yes, japa leads to success.' And again, 'If you don't succeed in meditation, practise japa. Japa leads to perfection. One attains perfection through japa (japat siddhih),' _ a perfect prescription, as it were, to save a person from the whirlpool of worldliness to the cool shade of the tree on the bank, God (tirataruchhayam).

The practice of japa forms an essential part of the spiritual life of an aspirant. All spiritual leaders down the ages have been encouraging the spiritual aspirants to practise japa as a means to God-realization. Sri Krishna, in the Gita, has eulogized japayajnah, the performance of japa, saying that He is japayajnah among all yajnas. The Sama Veda explains:¹⁵ 'We use no sacrificial stakes, we slay no victims, we worship entirely by repeating mantras (Naki dava hanimasi na kathayopayamsi mantrashrutyam charamasi).'

Shankara says in the Gita¹⁶ that a man who struggles sincerely for the highest end is already as good as a Siddha.

'One gets tired of japa for two reasons. Sometimes one's brain is fatigued, sometimes it is the result of idleness. If it is the former, then one should give up japa for the time being . But if it is the latter, the mind should be made to continue japa', Swamiji encourages us with these words.

With a wonderful analogy Sri Ramakrishna explains the benefit of japa: 'When you chant His name with single-minded devotion you can see God's form and realize Him. Suppose there is a piece of timber sunk in water of the Ganges and fastened with a chain to the bank. You proceed link by link, holding to the chain, and you dive into the water and follow the chain. Finally you are able to reach the timber. In the same way, by repeating God's name you become absorbed in Him and finally realize Him.'¹⁷

Sri Ramakrishna further says about japa:

'Just as you practise much in order to sing, dance, and play on instruments, so one should practise the art of fixing the mind on God. One should practise regularly such disciplines as worship, japa and meditation.'

'... if a person performs worship, japa, and other forms of devotion, surrendering the results to God, he may be said to practise karmayoga. Attainment of God alone is the aim of karmayoga.'

'... day and night a man should practise worship, japa, meditation, and other spiritual exercises. Only then, by virtue of practice, will he be able to think of God in the hour of death.'

A spiritual aspirant can and will attain to the highest goal, God-realization, through japa yoga.

Notes and References

1. Cf. Srimad Bhagavatam, 7.1.31
2. Cf. Kularnava Tantra, 17/34
3. Cf. Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, 2.65
4. Cf. Yogashikopanishad, 2.8
5. Cf. Haribhaktivilasa, 2.119
6. Cf. Varaha Upanishad, 5.19
7. Cf. Mahanarayana Upanishad, 13.7
8. Cf. Taittiriya Upanishad, 3.10.4
9. Cf. Akashamala Upanishad
10. Cf. Kathopanishad, 2.2.8
11. Such ideas are found in the Garbhopanishad (3 + 4)
12. Cf. Varaha Upanishad, 5.2
13. Georg Feuerstein, Subhash Kak and David Frawley, In Search of the Cradle of Civilization, (Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass Publishers Private Limited, 1995), p.205
14. Cf. Manusmriti, 2.83
15. Cf. Sama Veda, 1.2.9.2
16. Shankara on the Gita, 7.3
17. M., The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, (Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math, 2000), p 878-79